OPPORTUNITY:
Create a public sculpture monument for an organization, event, or cause of your choice.
SOLUTION:
I chose to make a sculpture to bring awareness to the tragedy of human trafficking.
Human trafficking exists closer than we like to think. Women, children, and even men are captured and their bodies are sold for a profit every day. It is a reality we would rather turn our backs on than do something to help. However, when people really become passionate about something, anything is possible. This monument is meant to rally people with a common passion, and ignite something new in those who do not yet share that passion.
This would be placed in a city setting so that it is fully surrounded by buildings and people. It is designed to be sunken into the ground because human trafficking is something that is hidden in plain sight. People are invited to walk through and around it. It is comprised of various jagged, beaten, and torn shapes that represent the people enslaved by this industry. The silver shapes are mirrors, so that as people walk around it, they see not only themselves, but also children and men going about their lives. It is a powerful thing to see yourself and your own life contrasted with people who have no choice in their future. The interior of the monument is the darkest place you can stand. There is a glass floor, and underneath are gold rocks and a ring of lights which represent hope in the darkness and purity. The monument is meant to have an overwhelming appearance and evoke raw and powerful emotions.
